IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — A decades-long program at the South Bay Union School District ends next October, leaving longtime security residents looking for a new place to live.
The program was created in the 1970s to provide security to the schools. The residents owned their homes but not their land, living for free on the campus in exchange for their security services. Those services included monitoring the campus and checking doors, windows, and gates at night, on weekends, and on holidays.
Thursday, the board unanimously voted on a contract to end the program. The current three-year contract expires on Dec. 31 of this year; it will run through and end on October 2024.
At a previous meeting in November, consultants said the program was now obsolete, citing new technology like cameras, sensors, and artificial intelligence. They also raised liability concerns for the district, claiming some properties are not properly maintained and potential fire hazards.
The new contract states the mobile homes must either be moved or demolished. It also says they will reimburse moving expenses, either $15,000 or $7,500, depending on when the resident moves.
ABC 10News spoke to two security resident families for this story. Mary Parsons, an 82-year-old woman, says she has been a security resident for 35 years.
Sandra Alvarez spoke to ABC 10News on behalf of her 83-year-old mother. She's lived on the Nicoloff campus as a security for 27 years.
Both families say there are 11 total security residents scrambling to find a new place to live.
Many of them spoke at Thursday night’s school meeting during public comment, raising concerns about being older, living on a fixed income, and the high rents in the county.
ABC 10News reached out to the district multiple times for comments about the program and, on Friday, was referred to a livestream of a November board meeting. The district also provided the current and new contracts.
